He was
sure he had heard something. Zoro looked out the window, still groggy
from his last nap. The ship was completely quiet, standing still
since it was dark and Nami was still acting funny. It was probably
nothing, but why couldn't he shake that weird feeling in his
stomach. The feeling he always got when…

He got to
his feet and half climbed, half jumped down on the deck. He looked
around, but couldn't see anything. Still there was something wrong.
He walked to the edge of the boat and looked down at the water below.
There, bubbles. He threw the katanas on the deck and jumped into the
water.

There she
was, still in her pyjamas. Lifeless. He swam down and grabbed her
before resurfacing. Climbing up the anchor he finally placed her
carefully on deck.

"Nami."

He started
to push down on her chest like he did with Luffy and Chopper.

"Nami
what did you do?"

Finally
she threw up the water, and curled over to one side. He fell
backwards on his butt, panting, just looking at the woman crying and
gasping for air next to him.

"You
could have died?"

"Maybe
that would have been best?"

He was in
shock, more now than earlier when he had seen her drunk. Weren't
she the one to say if you're alive, you shouldn't talk about
dying? Weren't she the one who loved life so much she would stay
alive for any cost except her friends?

"What?"

"I'm
just a bother to the rest of you."

He didn't
know what to say. How could she not understand?

"I know
how much it annoys you to always have to save me."

"No it
doesn't."

He got to
his feet and helped her to hers. Holding her tight as the wind softly
caressed them both.

"How can
you not see how much you do for this crew?"

She was
shaking and suddenly turned limp in his hands. Her body was ice cold
as he picked her up and carried her to the men's bedroom. Not
knowing what to do, except getting Chopper.

--

Chopper
sat down next to the sleeping body, feeling completely empty. She had
been in a lot worse condition than any of them had thought, just
considering all of her wounds that he now finally could check out. He
looked up as Robin came in and sat down next to him.

"The
rest want to know how she is?"

"She's
alive."

Chopper
got tears in his eyes as he looked at Robin.

"What
are going to do?"

Robin
looked away, not wanting him to see her own tears.

"I don't
know Chopper."

"Nami
would have known."

Robin
looked down on the sleeping girl. Her tears make small puddles on the
sheets.

"She
probably would Chopper. She probably would."

--

She had
slept for two full days. Chopper had said that was a good thing. That
it gave her body time to heal. He didn't say it also stopped her
from hurting herself more. That was just implied.

But after
two days she opened her eyes, got out of bed, and walked outside. The
entire ship stopped and ran to her side.

"Nami."

"Nami-san."

"Nami-chan."

She looked
through them. Like they weren't there.

"I'm
leaving. When we dock on the next island I'm leaving the crew."

The whole
crew turned mute with shock. Some eyes were filled with water, but no
one commented on that.

"Why?"

She looked
up at her captain, and pure hate shone in them.

"Why?
Why?"

Her voice
was shaking as she screamed.

"I'm
not strong Luffy. Not like you. And I… I waited for you. I screamed
you name. I screamed it so loud my voice turned hoarse. I screamed so
much they tried to smother me. I even screamed your name when…"

Some
understood. Some didn't.

"But you
didn't come. You didn't save me. I wasn't strong enough to get
myself out of trouble, and if I can't protect myself from these
pirates, how am I supposed to protect myself in the New World?"

She was
crying.

"How are
you supposed to become the pirate king when you have so weak nakamas
that you don't even care to save them?"

Her knees
buckled, but she didn't care. She had said what she had needed to
say. Falling to her knees wasn't such a big problem now. But she
was surprised when she suddenly found arms around her.

"You're
not weak Nami."

She was so
surprised she stopped crying.

"I'm
sorry I didn't save you, but you are not weak. You know I can't
be pirate king without you. You know I would never find the way there
if not for you. And you know I don't have weak nakamas."

She wanted
to hate him. She wanted to hate him so much, but as he talked his
words, as they always did, forced themselves into her mind and touch
her the same way as back before he defeated Arlong.

He let go
of her before giving her the log pose. She looked at it, at him, at
it again. Before she took it and fastened it around her wrist. His
smile forced itself over to her, bringing out her own. She looked at
the log pose, before jumping to her feet. A wet wind hit her from the
right. She turned and looked at it.

"Cyclone.
Everyone, we have to turn left, now."

The others
started to run, with the exception of Zoro. She walked over and hit
him on the back of the head.

"Now, or
you have to pay me 100,000 Beli."

He rubbed
his head as he walked away, but Nami would have sworn he was actually
smiling.

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